Documents show ties between university, conservative donors

A bronze statue of George Mason sits on the George Mason University campus in Fairfax, Va.

FAIRFAX, Va. — Newly released documents show Virginia's largest public university granted the conservative Charles Koch Foundation a say in the hiring and firing of professors in exchange for millions of dollars in donations.

The documents' release follows years of denials from George Mason University that the donations inhibit academic freedom.

The documents were released to a former student under a Freedom of Information Act request after a judge scrutinized Mason's denial of similar requests at a trial last week.

University President Angel Cabrera wrote a note to faculty Friday saying the agreements fall short of his standards for academic independence.

The foundation said the agreements are "old and inactive."

The school's relationship with the foundation has received increased scrutiny since 2016 when Mason renamed its law school for conservative jurist Antonin Scalia.